Count On You
by M. Joseph Day
Summary: James never felt this way about anyone before, let alone a guy...a guy that also happened to be his best friend. James/Carlos. Completely finished! Review if you want more!
1. Blushing

**Title**: Count On You

**Summary**: James never felt this way about anyone before, let alone a guy...a guy that also happened to be his best friend.

**Chapter One**: Blushing

**Pairings**: One-sided Carlos/James

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Big Time Rush :'(

James Diamond propped his head up on his arm. He stared across the room at the cutest boy on Earth, Carlos Garcia. James had just recently figured out that he liked Carlos that way. He remembered the first second he had felt those butterflies.

_ James cut his finger while trying to open a stupid carton of ice cream. "Ouch!"_

_ Carlos ran out of the kitchen, then came back in with a band-aid. He wrapped the band-aid around James's finger carefully. Carlos smiled at James. "All better. You okay?"_

_ "Yeah. I'm good," James assured._

_ "Okay," said Carlos. He walked past James and put his hand on James's shoulder. That's when James felt it. The butterflies in his stomach, the beating of his heart against his chest, the warmth of his face as he blushed._

James figured out that the reason he'd liked Carlos touching his shoulder was because he liked Carlos. He, James Diamond, was gay, and he had a crush on his best friend. James laughed a little as Carlos fidgeted in his sleep, causing his blanket to fall off of him.

James stopped laughing once his eyes connected with Carlos's open chest. It was so tan and muscular and...inviting. James would bet anything that Carlos's skin was as warm as a Los Angeles summer. It was probably also softer than anything. James felt the butterflies return. He could feel his heart beating in his ears.

Carlos rolled up into a little ball. James thought that he must have been cold. James, always a good friend, picked Carlos's blanket up from the floor and threw it back over him. Not able to resist it, James kissed Carlos's forehead. Carlos was a heavy sleeper, so a kiss to the forehead wasn't going to wake him up. James felt the heat pouring off Carlos's body and desired a hug from him suddenly. That would have to wait until tomorrow, unfortunately.

James laid back down in his bed.

When he opened his eyes, James saw that Carlos was standing over him. Carlos laughed. "That's so freaky! I was just about to wake you up! Good think Gustavo and Kelly are in New York for the week, or else you would've missed rehearsal!"

James sat up quickly. He looked around. "What time is it?"

"Two-thirty in the afternoon," answered Carlos. Carlos smiled down at James.

James suddenly noticed that Carlos wasn't wearing a shirt. He felt the butterflies return again. "Carlos, where's your shirt?"

Carlos looked down at his bare chest. He then smiled at James again. "Logan, Kendall, and I just got back from the pool. Bitters made us get out 'cause I guess there's something wrong with the filter or something."

"Oh," said James shortly. He stood up beside Carlos. Carlos grabbed a shirt from the end of his bed and pulled it on. He and James then went into the living room. Carlos presented James to Kendall and Logan. "Look who's alive."

"Good. We were just about to start making funeral plans," joked Kendall.

James faked a laugh. "Ha ha. Very funny, guys. Just kidding. I don't know why, but I was super tired last night."

James wasn't going to tell them that he was actually awake and staring at Carlos throughout the entire night. It sounded stalkerish even in James's head. That was definitely a bad thing. No, James wouldn't tell them, not until he was sure they would take it well.

"We know." Carlos leaned forward and gave James a quick, one-armed hug. James hugged Carlos with both arms, holding onto the warmth that was Carlos. James's face suddenly became super hot. He let go of Carlos.

"Woah!" exclaimed all three of the others together. Logan and Kendall burst into laughter. Carlos smiled and stared at James. "Uh, James, you're blushing a little."

James pulled a mirror out of one of the kitchen drawers and looked at his face. He wasn't blushing a little, he was blushing a lot. James's face was redder than Logan's when the latter had fallen asleep whilst sunbathing. James looked at Carlos, who now looked confused. James shrugged. He pulled at his shirt uncomfortably. "It's just a little warm in here is all. That's why it looks like I'm blushing. My face is red because I'm warm."

"Okay. I believe you," said Carlos. He smiled, got the orange juice out of the fridge, and poured himself a glass. Carlos sipped from his glass while Logan and Kendall rolled around on the floor laughing.

Later that afternoon, James and Kendall sat alone in the apartment. Carlos and Logan had gone across the street to get some coffee and donuts for the four of them. Kendall shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "So, you blushed when Carlos hugged you."

"So? What about it?" asked James loudly and forcefully.

Kendall smiled. "So...do you like Carlos...like...that?"

James's heart pounded in his ears. He swallowed. James knew there was no way out of this. If he lied to Kendall, Kendall would know he was lying, because James was a bad liar. James sighed. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Yeah. It is. Sorry, dude," said Kendall. He stood up. "So what are you gonna do when Carlos gets back?"

"I'm going to act like nothing happened, and that I'm not gay," said James. He stood up too. "Kendall, if you tell Carlos or Logan or anyone else what we just talked about, you're dead. You got that?"

Kendall nodded quickly. "Yup. I got it."

Over at the coffee shop, Carlos and Logan stood in line. Logan looked around. "So...James blushed when you hugged him?"

"So? What about it?" asked Carlos in a bored voice, basically sounding like he wasn't concerned with the subject at all.

"So do you think James likes you...like that?" asked Logan.

Carlos looked around the coffee shop. He thought about all the times he had hugged James. James had never blushed before. If James did like Carlos like that, it was fairly new. Carlos saw James's face in his mind. James was the pretty one of Big Time Rush. Carlos had heard somewhere that all the prettiest guys were gay. James was very handsome, though, and he did have a nice set of arms, and really chiseled abs and pecks, and great hair.

Carlos finally remembered Logan's question. He looked up at Logan and nodded his head. "Yeah. Yeah, I do think he likes me like that."

"So what are you gonna do when we get back to the apartment?" Logan asked.

Carlos thought for a moment. He looked at Logan and smiled. "I'm going to ask him about it."

Later, Carlos and Logan walked into the apartment. Carlos set the four coffee cups down on the coffee table and grabbed one. He handed one to James. "James, can I please talk to you in our room for a sec?"

James had to physically and mentally keep himself from blushing like a nervous schoolgirl. "Uh, yeah."

James and Carlos went into their room. They both sat on Carlos's bed. Carlos looked over at James. He opened his mouth, and then closed it. Carlos thought of the right words to say. "Um...James. I noticed that you blushed when I hugged you, and I know it wasn't because it's hot in the apartment. Logan and I had a nice long talk while we were getting the coffee, and we suspect something. We both suspect that you might...like me...like that."

James fidgeted. He couldn't stop himself from blushing this time. Pink flooded his face faster than a lake with a broken dam flooded a city. James felt his face with the back of his hand. "Damn it. I'm blushing again. Carlos...I don't know how to say this, but...yeah. I do like you like that. It's a recent thing, but I know that I'm gay and that I have a crush on my best friend. I know it's awkward, and I know you'd never like me back, but I have to tell you that I'm never going to stop liking you."

Carlos nodded slowly. "You know, when I thought about you in the coffee shop, I realized just how handsome you are, James. I mean, your face, your hair, your arms, your abs. It's all so perfect. So, I'm thinking that maybe-if I put all of me and a little more into it-_maybe_ I could learn to like you like that too. I'm just not sure if I can do the whole guy-on-guy relationship thing. It seems a little awkward to me. Can you give me some time to process all this?"

James nodded. "I'll give you all the time you need. Thank you for at least trying to understand, Carlos, and thank you for not freaking out. Can I hug you?"

"Yeah," said Carlos quietly. He leaned forward and hugged James with both arms, as supposed to the usual one-armed hug. James hugged him back, resting his head on Carlos's shoulder. Carlos put his chin on James's shoulder. He smiled as he felt James breathing lightly on his neck. Maybe this guy-on-guy relationship would be easier than he thought. A lot easier.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Trying

**Chapter Two**: Trying

**Pairings**: Carlos/James

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Big Time Rush :'( I also don't own Cool Ranch Doritos. (I mean, I have some in a kitchen cabinet, but I don't own the brand.) I don't own Scrabble either. (The brand that it is, not the item itself.)

By the end of the day, Monday, Carlos had decided to try dating James to see how it went. Carlos wasn't sure he even liked James like that. He had to admit that he found James attractive, and James was funny, sweet, and an all around good guy, but Carlos didn't know if he could ever feel the same way James felt about him.

When Carlos had told James, James had gone crazy. He literallly picked Carlos up and kissed him so hard that Carlos's lips hurt. After, James just sat on the couch beside Carlos, holding his hand and tickling him every once in a while. James was in Heaven. He now had the boyfriend he had wanted, his two best friends, and a big bowl of Cool Ranch Doritos.

At first, Carlos was nervous about all the touching and kissing and tickling, but he eventually settled down. He had to admit that he could get used to this. James was a better boyfriend than any girlfriend Carlos had had. Maybe it was a sign that Carlos was more like James than he thought. Maybe Carlos was actually interested in James.

The boys, Mrs. Knight, and Katie had decided on playing Scrabble. As James picked seven letters out of the bag, Carlos tapped on his shoulder. James turned his face to look at Carlos. Carlos leaned forward and gently touched his lips to James's. Carlos licked the remnants of a recently devoured Dorito off of James's top lip. James wrapped his tongue around Carlos's. Carlos found that he actually liked this. Remembering a little thing called oxygen, Carlos pulled away. He breathed heavily, as did James.

James smiled at Carlos. "Wow. Carlos, whatever that was, you need to do it more often. I mean, _I've _been kissing _you _ever since you told me you wanted to date me, but the first time _you_ kissed _me_ was...wow. Don't be afraid to do it again. Please."

Everyone present laughed at James's reaction to Carlos's all-too-hot kiss. Mrs. Knight would have covered Katie's eyes if Katie hadn't wanted to become more open-minded to the world. Mrs. Knight told her that that was okay, and that she would love Katie even if she became a lesbian. Katie's reaction to that was a simple "ew".

Halfway through the game, everyone but James and Carlos were annoyed at how many lovey-dovey words James and Carlos had spelled out on the board. "Love", "hearts", "kiss", "hug", and "caress" were just a few of them.

James and Carlos ended up winning the game, after which Mrs. Knight and Katie headed off to bed. Logan stood up and stretched. Kendall stood up and yawned. "I think we're gonna go to bed too. I'm personally really tired."

"Me too," yawned Logan. He and Kendall disappeared into their bedroom.

Carlos smiled at James. He kissed James for only the second time. Carlos and James started rubbing their tongues against each other. James laid down on top of Carlos. He pulled off Carlos's shirt and started kissing his neck and chest. James led a trail of kisses from Carlos's mouth all the way to his belly button. Carlos wouldn't let him go any farther than that, which James could certainly understand.

James sat at the end of the couch, and Carlos laid down with his feet in James's lap. James started giving Carlos a foot rub while they both started watching TV. Carlos turned it to an entertainment channel. A photo of Big Time Rush popped up on the television screen. James let go of Carlos's foot. Both James and Carlos sat forward, eyes glued to the television program. The guy on the show was saying something about them. "Big Time Rush? More like Big Time Flush! These guys are from Minnesota! I mean, how more boring can they get? Usually, every celebrity has at least one scandal. These so-called singers have absolutely _nothing_ going on behind closed doors! Nothing! I'm actually surprised make-up-wearing pretty boy James isn't gay! At least _that_ would make them slightly more interesting!"

Carlos turned the television off and looked at James. James was smiling brightly. "Nothing gets past those guys, does it? Carlos, do you think we should reveal our relationship to the public? Or should we leave them guessing?"

"I say we be boring for a while. We'll wait for a time when Hollywood is nearly free of scandals, and _then_ we'll spring it on them," said Carlos. "It'll be the best, because we'll be the only interesting entertainment news for a while."

James smiled and nodded.

Carlos fell asleep with his head in James's lap. James fell asleep looking at the ceiling. Kendall came out into the living room at ten in the morning. He purposely sat on Carlos's feet. Carlos instantly woke up. "Hey! Stop sitting on my feet!"

James woke up. He wiped the slobber off the side of his face, grabbed a pencil from the end table, and threw it at Kendall. The pencil hit Kendall right in the neck. Kendall put his hand on the spot and stood up. James glared at him. "Yeah. That's what you get when you mess with my poor, little Carlos. You okay, babe?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, Jamie," said Carlos.

James nodded. "Anytime."

Carlos sat up as Kendall walked into the kitchen, still rubbing his neck. Carlos found where James had thrown his shirt the night before and pulled it on. He kissed James as the latter stood up. Katie entered the room, then. "You know, I always knew you were gay, James. I mean, it's just the way you do everything. Not that that's a bad thing. Carlos...you seemed less gay than James, but still a little bit fruity."

"Gee thanks, Katie," said Carlos sarcastically, yawning. He looked at the clock on the wall. It was noon already. James's lap was more comfortable than a pillow, so Carlos didn't blame himself for sleeping that long. He blamed his boyfriend's cozy lap.

"So, what are we gonna do today?" Logan asked the rest of the guys. He had just come into the room after using the bathroom.

James stretched. "I say we go down to the pool."

A few minutes later, the guys sat out by the pool. James stood up and helped Carlos to his feet. Holding hands, James and Carlos jumped into the pool together. Carlos started splashing James. James splashed Carlos back. Carlos stopped when the Jennifers walked past the pool. He stared at them, watching them walk with their perfect grace.

James hit Carlos's chest with the back of his hand. Carlos turned to look at him. James looked angry. "Carlos, you can't just do that now. You're not dating the Jennifers, you're dating _me_. I don't know if you're ashamed of that or something, but I need to know right now if you can handle looking only at me. No one else."

"I can handle it," started Carlos. "I'm not ashamed of you, Jamie. If you don't believe me, I'll show you just how open I want to be with you." 

Carlos put his arms around James's neck. He leaned forward and caught James's lips with his own. Carlos slipped his tongue in between James's lips. James did the same to Carlos. The inside of James's mouth tasted like orange juice. Carlos closed his eyes, making the world disappear. He didn't care what they thought of him. He also didn't care if a photographer for a magazine was snapping the make-out picture right now. All he cared about was not losing James. Remembering oxygen again, Carlos pulled his face away, still holding on to James's neck.

James and Carlos both looked around. Every single person present at the Palm Woods pool was staring at them. James and Carlos just smiled. Carlos's eyes fell on a man holding a camera. A photo shoot for an interview with the Jennifers was going on right outside the pool. The photographer had no doubt taken pictures of the kiss. Normally, Carlos would have gotten out of the pool and thrown in the camera, essentially destroying it, but Carlos was publicizing their relationship for the sake of keeping James. It was a risk that he had to take.

Kendall stood up. "Nothing to see here! I mean, are you even surprised?"

Mumblings saying things like "not really", "no", and "I can't believe he's gay. He's so hot" burst out amongst the pool goers. James smiled at Carlos. "You know we just outed ourselves, right?"

"Yep," said Carlos happily. He kissed James again. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. Interviewing

**Chapter Three**: Interviewing

**Pairings**: Carlos/James

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Big Time Rush.

Mrs. Knight set a huge stack of magazines down on the coffee table. She smiled at Carlos and James. "These are all the magazines that have pictures of you and want the inside scoop."

James started going through them. "Person Magazine, USA Weekly, Pop Tiger...that's a lot of magazines that want to talk to us. Plus, we have offers to appear on various talk shows on TV and radio. Who knew revealing our secret would be such hard work?"

There was a knock at the door. Carlos went and answered it. Kelly walked into the room. "Hey. Gustavo wanted to come back early, since there's so much buzz about you and James's relationship. How can so much change in only three days of us being gone?"

Carlos shrugged. He sat down beside James on the couch. "James told me he had a crush on me, and we decided to try dating. The whole guy-on-guy relationship thing eventually worked. The other night, James and I heard a guy on TV say that Big Time Rush was boring without any scandals at all. Then, yesterday at the pool, James saw me checking out the Jennifers and got mad at me. To prove to him that I wasn't ashamed to be dating him, I kissed him. Well, the Jennifers had an interview and a photoshoot by the pool, and the photographer captured some pictures of the kiss. That created the buzz going on right now. I guess we're not so boring anymore."

"Guess not, but Gustavo's furious," said Kelly. "He'd be here right now if it weren't for the new singer we picked up in New York. Is there any way to clear this all up?"

James shrugged. "The only thing I can think of is giving the people what they want; interviews and more pictures of us."

Kelly nodded. "I'll run it by Gustavo. Boys, be at Rocque Records to meet with Gustavo and I at seven tonight. We'll talk it over there."

"Okay. Are we gonna meet the new singer?" asked Carlos.

Kelly shrugged. "I don't think Gustavo will allow it. He's really protective of this one, boys. Just, don't go outside until seven. A limo will be waiting for you at six forty-five."

"Okay. We'll be there," said James.

Kelly turned around and left the apartment. Carlos rested his head on James's shoulder. James touched the side of Carlos's face lightly, brushing it with the tips of his fingers. Carlos sighed. "I didn't know this would be so hard, Jamie."

"Yeah, me neither. We'll get through it though, baby." James lifted Carlos's head up and kissed him gently.

At seven, James and Carlos walked into Gustavo's office. He looked up at them with his fingers laced together. James and Carlos sat down in front of his desk. "James, Carlos, I'm in a good mood, so I'm not going to yell. Now, Kelly already told me how everything happened, so I'm going to tell you what we're going to do. We're going to milk this as much as we can. This could be good for us, even though there will be hundreds of broken-hearted teenage girls."

James smiled at Carlos. They both looked at Gustavo. Carlos rubbed his hands together. "So, who's interviewing us first?"

The next morning, the guys of Big Time Rush walked onto the set of the same entertainment show James and Carlos had watched a few nights ago. The host of the show, a high energy man named Mark Ellison, looked at the camera. "Here we are with Big Time Rush. As you have probably seen in various magazines, Big Time Rush _finally_ has a scandal, no offense, guys. So, James, did you ask Carlos out or did he ask you out?"

"I asked out Carlos. I had a huge crush on him, but I didn't tell him until something that was a little funny happened," answered James.

"Tell me what happened," said Mark.

Carlos crossed his legs and resituated himself. He smiled brightly. "Well, James had woken up really late. We joked around with him about it. I gave him one of my quick one-armed hugs, and he blushed so badly. I talked to James about it later, and he told me that he liked me. After I thought it over, I thought we'd give it a try."

"How do you think this will effect the female fans you have?" asked Mark.

James smiled. "They'll probably still hope that we'll straighten out, but at least we have the support of fellow gay guys everywhere."

"Kendall, Logan, is this situation...strange for you?"

"Not really," said Kendall. "I mean, they're our buds, and we'll stick by them no matter how they choose to live their lives. If they want to be together, we respect that."

Logan nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Big Time Rush isn't going to break up or anything because James and Carlos are together. The band will be together for a really long time."

"Hopefully we will too," said James, looking at Carlos adoringly.

A breakout of "aw" sounded from the audience. Mark looked back at the camera. "There you go. James Diamond and Carlos Garcia of boy band Big Time Rush are indeed together. You heard it here first. I'm Mark Ellison, and this is Ellison Entertainment. Tune in tomorrow for more great entertainment, information, and interviews."

After all the cameras were off, Carlos sat down on James's lap and kissed him. Carlos stared into James's eyes. "Do you really think we'll be together for a long time?"

"I don't think. I _know_," answered James.


	4. Sleeping

**Chapter Four**: Sleeping (or not...)

**Pairings**: Carlos/James

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Big Time Rush, I wouldn't have the time or energy to write fanfics! Sorry I didn't post this earlier. I've kinda been grounded...

James hung up the phone. He smiled to himself. James had just made reservations at a five-star hotel for the fifteenth of August. The fifteenth was important because it was Carlos's seventeenth birthday. James wanted his boyfriend's birthday to be perfect. James reserved a hotel room and a table at a French restaraunt. Carlos didn't know anything about it. James had only told Kendall, Logan, Mrs. Knight, and Kelly.

Gustavo gave the boys more time off so he could work with the new guy, who Big Time Rush had still not met yet. Gustavo was so protective of this guy that they didn't even know what his name was. Kelly had at least told them that it was a guy.

James walked back out into the living room. He sat down beside Carlos and put his hand on Carlos's knee. Mrs. Knight suddenly appeared with a camera. She was excited because she had just found her old camera in a closet she was cleaning out. "Smile!"

Carlos put his arm around James and smiled. Mrs. Knight snapped the picture and moved on to take a picture of Katie and Kendall. James kissed Carlos. "You know that they're calling us? Jarlos! Like jar and...los? Los Jar."

"It's better than the alternative," responded Carlos. "Could you imagine us being called 'Cames'? That's like the plural of came..."

Carlos and James laughed together. James sighed. "So, today is August thirteenth. Your birthday is two days from now."

Carlos rolled his eyes. "I told you not to do anything special for me. Even if I love parties, I hate surprise parties. I think it's just the part about people jumping at me from a dark room. It's kind of creepy. I think it would give me a heart attack. So no surprise parties."

"I didn't, I swear," said James, smiling brightly.

Carlos put James's hand in his own, entwining their fingers. Carlos squeezed his boyfriend's hand a little. "Promise?"

"Ouch. I promise." James pinned Carlos, laying on top of him. James kissed Carlos. A flash to the side of their faces told James and Carlos that Mrs. Knight had taken a picture of the kiss. Carlos smiled up at Mrs. Knight. "Do you realize how much money people would give you for those photos?"

Mrs. Knight smiled. "Probably a lot, but I don't really care about the money. I just love love more than most people."

The next day, James woke up just in time to see Carlos hang up his cell phone. James rolled over on top of Carlos and kissed him. Sharing a queen-sized bed had its advantages. James smiled. "Who was that, C-Bear?"

Carlos smiled back at James. "That was my parents. They're flying here for my birthday. They want to stay until the twenty-fourth. I'm kinda nervous about it. I mean, how do you think they'll feel when I tell them we're together?"

"You're their son, and they'll always love you no matter what," said James. He then realized the problem. Carlos's parents were coming, and James had made plans to make Carlos's birthday special. He couldn't have his boyfriend's parents intruding on their day together. James faked a smile. "You know, maybe you should just tell them not to come."

"Why?" asked Carlos. His eyes widened. He pushed James to the side and stood up. "Jamie, you said you didn't plan anything! You promised!"

James closed his eyes and rubbed them with his fingertips. "I'm sorry, C-Bear, but I had to do something for your birthday. I wanted it to be a special day for us. I made dinner reservations and booked a hotel room and everything. I didn't even think that your parents would want to see you on your birthday."

Carlos sat down on the bed beside James. James had actually started tearing up. Carlos put his arm around his boyfriend. "Jamie, I'll tell my parents not to come. I didn't know you made plans like that. I just thought it was a stupid surprise party or something. You're such a sweetie, and I'm such a jerk. I'm sorry."

James put his arms around Carlos's chest and hugged him. Carlos dialed his parents' number and told them not to come. James put his head on Carlos's shoulder, and Carlos set his head on James's head.

The next day, James and Carlos left the Palm Woods at six-thirty to get to the restaraunt on time. James wore a white dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves, black dress pants, a black pinstripe vest, and a tie with diagonal burgundy and champagne stripes. Carlos wore black dress pants, a black t-shirt, and a gray sport coat.

After being shown to their table, Carlos opened his menu and noticed that it was entirely written in French. "Uh, Jamie, it's all French..."

"Yeah, it's a French restaraunt," said James, smiling. "We'll just have to guess what's good."

The dinner turned out to be a success. James and Carlos started making out in the elevator at the hotel. James picked up Carlos, who wrapped his legs around James's torso. When they reached the door to their room, James fumbled around with the key. Carlos grabbed it from him and unlocked the door quickly. James walked them into the room, kicking the door closed behind him. He set Carlos down on the bed and pulled his vest off. Carlos removed his own shoes and the sport jacket.

Carlos pulled off James's tie and started unbuttoning James's shirt, only to find that James wore a t-shirt underneath it. Carlos laughed. "How many layers do I have to get through?"

When they were both in just their underwear, Carlos laid down on the bed. James kissed Carlos's neck, then left kisses all the way down to the elastic waistband of Carlos's boxers. James bit the waistband and pulled it down with his teeth. He lifted up his boyfriend's legs and pulled the pesky boxers the rest of the way off. Carlos's penis was already erect, so James hardly had to to anything. He just kept going down until it was in his mouth. Carlos grasped the comforter on either side of him. James moved his tongue around Carlos's penis. Carlos raised his back off the bed, nearly choking James. James still continued.

Carlos closed his eyes. "James...James...JAMES!"

James felt the warm liquid hit the back of his throat. Even though he had never done this before, James managed swallow every last bit of the cum.

Carlos smiled at James. James smiled back and pulled Carlos forward, changing positions and inserting his penis in Carlos's anus. Carlos shivered. James started thrusting, pulling Carlos's head back by grabbing a handful of his hair.

After an hour of making love, James and Carlos laid down on top of the blankets. Carlos was sweating heavily, and both boys were panting. James grabbed one of the chocolate strawberries he had ordered from room service and put the tip of it to Carlos's lips. Carlos bit into it. He smiled. "Thank you, Jamie. Not just for the strawberry, but for everything. Dinner, sex, just for being you. I love you, James Diamond."

"I love you too," muttered James, kissing Carlos.

James Diamond and Carlos Garcia fell asleep with their bodies pressed together. They were best friends. They were partners. They were in love.

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	5. Feelings

**Chapter Five**: Feelings

**Pairings**: Carlos/James, Carlos/OC

**Disclaimer**: All of this would be in the show if I owned Big Time Rush, but I don't...Sadface!

The boys of Big Time Rush looked up at the guy who was blocking their sunlight. He was taller than James, with dark brown hair, lightly tanned skin, and a very skinny build. He waved a little. "It's really nice to finally meet you."

Together, the Big Time Rush boys asked, "Who are you?"

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself," said the guy. "I'm Gustavo Rocque's other project, Maxwell Lloyd. Everyone calls me Max, though. I've been a big fan of you guys for a really long time. I totally freaked out when Gustavo came to Ohio and told me that he wanted me to record with him. I'm so excited to be here right now!"

Kendall stood up. "So you're the top secret project! I'm Kendall."

"I know who you are. I'm more interested in Jarlos," said Max. He pushed past Kendall and stood in front of James and Carlos. "I love how you're not afraid to show who you really are."

When Carlos stood up and shook Max's hand, he saw how handsome Max was. His eyes were the lightest blue, and his skin was so perfect that Carlos just wanted to feel it. Max stepped forward a little. Carlos got goosebumps and blushed. James, who had just stood up, saw Carlos blushing and looked from Max to Carlos and back again. James pretended to stretch, purposely knocking Max right into the pool. James smiled. "Whoops!"

Max lifted himself up out of the pool and pulled off his wet shirt, wringing it out on the sidewalk. James put his arm around Carlos. He noticed that Carlos was staring at Max's toned pecs and abs. James turned Carlos's face and kissed him, slipping his tongue into Carlos's mouth. Carlos closed his eyes, kissing James back hard. James glanced to the side and noticed that Max was watching them with a frustrated look on his face.

When James pulled away from Carlos, Carlos smiled. "What was that for?"

Loudly, James said, "Because I love you."

Max faked a smile and looked at James. James smiled back, sending a silent message to Max. Max raised an eyebrow, signaling that he got the message. James knew Max wasn't going to give up though. He could see it in those icy blue eyes. Max sighed. "Um, I ordered some pizzas for dinner tonight if you wanna come over to my apartment. It's right across from yours."

"I like pizza," said Carlos.

A few moments later, Big Time Rush and Max sat in Max's apartment eating pizza. James was glued to Carlos's side, making sure that Max couldn't get anywhere near his C-Bear. Unfortunately, Carlos couldn't take his eyes off Max.

Eventually, James became frustrated and tapped Carlos's shoulder. Carlos looked at him for the first time in ten minutes. James grasped his boyfriend's hand. "I need to talk to you about something in the hallway."

James and Carlos exited Max's apartment. Carlos crossed his arms. "What's this about?"

"Max," answered James, his voice rising a little. "He likes you, a lot. I think he's evil, and he's trying to steal you away from me. Worse, I think you like him a lot too. So make me feel better. Tell me you don't like Max."

Carlos fidgeted. He sighed and turned his head away from James. Quietly, he said, "I can't do that. I _do_ like Max."

James looked down at the floor. A tear fell from his eye, landing on his right foot. Carlos put his thumb under James's chin and forced James to look at him. Carlos wiped away James's tears. "Jamie, I like Max, but I don't love him. I love _you_. I will never love anyone the way I love you. It'd be impossible."

James continued to cry. He shook his head. "I don't believe you."

James ran into Big Time Rush's apartment and slammed the door behind him. Carlos heard another loud sound, telling him that James had also slammed the door to their shared bedroom. Carlos dried his own tears and walked into the elevator. He couldn't deal with anyone. Not right now. Carlos just wanted to be alone.

He wasn't alone for long. Max had noticed that Carlos was missing and followed him. Carlos sat on the side of the pool, sticking his feet in the water. Max did the same. Carlos looked at him and shook his head. "I screwed up everything, Max. James thinks that you want to steal me away from him."

"Why would I do something like that?" asked Max.

"That's what I was thinking about," mumbled Carlos. He shook his head again. "I don't get it. We had sex. We're in love. Why would he ruin that?"

Max shrugged. He put his hand on Carlos's leg. "I don't know. Why would anyone really want to dump you?"

Carlos half-smiled at Max. He put his hand on top of Max's. "Thanks. That made me feel a little better. I just wish James would see that I would never love anyone else."

Max smiled to himself. He was practically holding Carlos's hand. James was now basically out of the picture. Max was in. He was planted in Carlos's mind now. It was almost hard to believe that Max's plan was actually working.

The next day, Big Time Rush walked into Rocque Records, getting ready to record a new song. Before they started, James pointed at Carlos and said, "I'm not talking to him."

Kelly looked from James to Carlos and back again. She crossed her arms and frowned. "Okay, the other day you two were Hollywood's hottest new couple, and today you don't even want to talk to each other. What's going on?"

Before Carlos could say anything, James yelled, "Max is going on! Max's _life_ is going on! Apparently Max has something I don't! Apparently Max is perfect! Apparently, Max is THE BEST GODDAMN THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO ANYONE!"

Carlos looked over at James. "James-"

"Don't, Carlos! Just...don't!" yelled James. He ran out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him. James ran to the very end of the hallway and sat in the corner, arms held tight around his knees. James's eyes had started tearing up while he had been yelling. James rocked back and forth, hitting the back of his head against the wall. The only person he had ever truly loved had been taken away from him. To make things worse, Max walked right past James.

James jumped up and pressed Max against the wall. "I know what you're doing!"

Max smiled and unsuccessfully struggled against James's grip. "I have no idea what you're talking about, pretty boy."

"The _hell_ you don't, Max!" yelled James. He pressed his fist against Max's chest even harder. "You know _exactly_ what I am talking about. Do you remember arriving, meeting Big Time Rush, and FLIRTING WITH MY BOYFRIEND? Do you remember STEALING HIM AWAY FROM ME?"

"Vaguely," said Max quietly, still smiling.

James sighed. "What gives you the right to be such a _smartass_?"

"I do," said the voice of Carlos right behind James. James turned around, dropping Max in the process. Carlos shrugged, putting his hands out to the side. "So, what's going on here? You hold Max against the wall and scream in his face? This isn't just his fault. I'm at blame, too, and so are you. I tried to tell you that I would never leave you. You, being jealous and childish, said that you didn't believe me. Max comforted me. So it's everyone's fault. Me liking Max, Max liking me, and you being...stupid."

"Oh, so I'm stupid now?" yelled James. "How stupid are _you_? You're the one that can't see what his little plan was! He _wanted_ to steal you away from me! I saw it in his eyes the very first time I saw him!"

James pointed at Max. Carlos looked at Max and shook his head slowly. "No. No-that can't be true. He didn't know that what happened was going to happen. He's not that kind of person. Tell him. Tell him that you didn't know."

"I can't," whispered Max.

Carlos looked at the floor and shook his head. He then looked at James and sighed. A tear fell from his eye. Carlos quickly wiped it away. He stepped forward slowly and embraced James in a hug. He cried into James's chest. James patted Carlos's back. Carlos looked up and sniffed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I couldn't see what was going on."

"It's okay. You didn't _want_ to see it," said James quietly. He smiled at Max from over Carlos's shoulder. Max shrugged and walked away.


	6. Dying

**Chapter Six**: Dying

**Pairings**: Carlos/James

**Disclaimer**: Sadly, I do not own Big Time Rush (or the song "The Only Exception")

**Author's Note**: It's been a really super long time since I last updated this, so I made this chapter really lengthy just for your enjoyment. I'll be on top of things from now on. Promise! Enjoy chapter six!

James and Carlos came into the kitchen holding hands the next morning. Logan had his head down, sleeping. Kendall rubbed his eyes and looked back at James and Carlos. "We should kill you both."

Carlos and James looked at each other, confused. James smiled at Logan and Kendall. "What did we do to you?"

"You cost us sleep!" yelled Mrs. Knight, who sat up on the couch. Katie was curled up into a little ball beside her, sleeping. Mrs. Knight stood up and walked into the kitchen, putting her hands on her hips. "Look, I'm glad that you two are back together, but that doesn't give you the right to cause an EARTHQUAKE IN THE APARTMENT!"

Carlos smiled brightly. "Sorry about that. James-"

Kendall put up a hand to stop Carlos from talking. "We don't need to know details, Carlos."

James's cell phone began ringing loudly, his ringtone being the song "The Only Exception" by Paramore. James looked at the screen and answered his phone. "Hello?...Hi Mom...What?...No, that's not possible...When?...I'm sure Gustavo will make an exception...Yeah...Okay...I'm bringing someone with me...Okay...Love you too...Bye."

James hung up his phone and put it back in the pocket of his pajama pants. He looked around at everyone. "My dad was in a car accident. He just died at the hospital. I have to leave for the funeral right away. Carlos, I want you to come with me."

Carlos went into their room to pack. Carlos packed his stuff quickly and then helped James. "So, how did it happen?"

"Uh, the road was wet. Dad slid onto the other side of the road and his car was smashed up by a semi," explained James quietly. He folded a shirt and stuffed it into his suitcase. He quickly zipped it up and looked at Carlos, sighing. James hugged Carlos and put his head on Carlos's shoulder. "I haven't seen my dad in a long time, and now I'll never get to see him again."

Carlos hugged James tightly.

Mrs. Knight drove James and Carlos to the airport, where they got a flight immediately. While waiting for the plane, James called Gustavo and told him everything. Gustavo allowed it right away. James and Carlos got on the plane and took their seats.

At the airport in Minnesota, James's mom picked them up. James and his mom looked a lot alike. She had the same tan skin, pretty face, and light brown hair. Mrs. Diamond hugged James and Carlos at the same time. "James, I've missed you so much. Carlos, it's good to see you again. Thank you for being a good friend to James and being by his side."

"Actually, Mom..." James picked up Carlos and kissed him. Carlos wrapped his arms around James and kissed him back, not really caring that many, many people were watching them and knew exactly who they were. James set Carlos back down and smiled at his mom. Mrs. Diamond looked at James, then at Carlos, then at James again. "Well, that's...unexpected, but it's a good thing you have somebody to love, son."

"Thanks for the approval, Mom," smiled James

Mrs. Diamond drove to James's grandmother's house and pulled into the driveway. Nana Diamond ran out of the house and embraced James in a tight hug. Carlos noticed that she was crying, so he didn't say anything. Nana sobbed into James's shoulder. James was also crying. Nana pulled away a little and cupped James's face in her hands. "You look _so much_ like your father."

James cracked a little smile. Nana realized that Carlos was standing there and gave him a hug, too. "Hello again, Mister Garcia, how have you been?"

Carlos gave James a little look and smiled. "I've been good. It's nice to see you again, Nana."

Nana led them into her big, olive green house. The inside was just as nice as the outside. The foyer had a big wooden staircase leading upstairs and an elegant chandelier. Nana led them to the left, and they were suddenly in her kitchen. The walls were a calm yellow, and the floor was stained wood. At a little wooden table in the corner sat a few more of James's pretty relatives. Carlos didn't know any of them, but James soon introduced him: "This is Uncle Perry, Uncle Will, Aunt Jane, Aunt Sam, and Uncle Hank. Guys, this is Carlos Garcia. He's my...friend."

Carlos waved a little. Uncle Perry, who looked exactly like James with black hair, shifted in his chair. "Now, why did you pause before you said 'friend'?"

James's face turned just as red as the one day when Carlos had hugged him. "Well, he's actually a little bit, no, a lot more than a friend. Carlos and I are...dating. We've already had sex, and we're in love. He's perfect."

James looked at Carlos, then grasped his hand. Uncle Perry put his hand on top of Uncle Will's hand. Carlos didn't even realize that the blond-haired, green-eyed Uncle Will didn't look anything like James. Carlos smiled to himself; James wasn't the only gay Diamond. Perry looked up at James. "Now, why would have been afraid to tell me that before? I'm _married_ to a guy for God's sakes, James."

Carlos couldn't help but laugh. He turned and kissed James. Carlos looked back at Mrs. Diamond. "Did you invite my parents to the viewing and the funeral?"

Mrs. Diamond smiled and nodded. "Of course I did, Carlos. I love your parents. Why would I not invite them?"

Carlos shrugged. James sighed. "Okay, so, Mom, where are we staying? Here or the house?"

"We're staying here," answered Mrs. Diamond, sitting down between Aunt Jane and Aunt Sam. "I need my people to be around me. James, I don't mind if you smoke while you're here either. It'll help with the stress."

Carlos looked at James, recalling memories. Before they had become a boy band and moved to Los Angeles, James used to steal cigarettes from his mother all the time. When Mrs. Diamond found out about it, she stopped him from smoking, hiding her cigarettes. All of the boys had tried it, but James was the only one who stuck with it. James quit after moving to Los Angeles.

Uncle Hank slipped his pack of Marlboro Menthol 100's out of his jacket pocket and handed a cigarette to James. James put the filter end in his mouth, and Uncle Hank handed him a lighter. James lit the cigarette and handed back the lighter. Carlos watched James, somehow loving the way he smoked his cigarette.

Nana smiled at James with sad eyes. "You boys will be staying in the basement."

"Yes! I love the basement!" yelled James. He blew smoke out. "Carlos, you _have_ to see the basement! There's a big-screen TV and an X-Box 360 and a stereo system and a mini-fridge and a futon! It's AMAZING!"

Everyone including Carlos started laughing. James kissed and hugged everyone. He walked down the steps in the kitchen to the basement. Carlos looked around with wide eyes. It was just as amazing as James had said. They sat down on the futon. Someone else came down the steps. A twenty-something man who was impossibly more beautiful than James came into the basement. "Hey, James. Hey, Friend-of-James. I'm staying down here tonight, too."

James got up and shaked the guy's hand. "Uh, Carlos, this is my cousin Avery. He's Hank's son. Avery, this is my boyfriend Carlos."

Carlos stood up and held out his hand. Avery smiled and shook his hand. Carlos could only stare. "I-it's nice to, uh, meet you. Yeah, that's what I wanted to say."

James and Avery burst out laughing. Carlos smiled. "I'm sorry if I stare at you. It's just, the basement can only hold so much beautiful, right? I can't even imagine what your family reunions are like. I couldn't go!"

James and Avery continued laughing. When they were done about five minutes later, all of them sat down on the futon. Avery laughed a little bit more. "You know, James, I never noticed how many gay guys there are in our family. I mean, there's Uncle Perry, our cousins Paul, Nick, and Joe, me, and now you."

Carlos and James laughed at that. Avery looked at Carlos long and hard. "Hey, James. I wanna make sure you're really gay. Kiss Carlos."

James smiled and kissed Carlos hard, using tongue and everything. Carlos laid down, and James laid down on top of him. Avery stood up. "Jesus! I told you to kiss him, not have sex with him! Damn, James! You two are _really _gay!"

Avery stared at the floor for a few minutes, then looked back at James and Carlos. "You know, the viewing isn't until Friday. Today's only Tuesday. I know this great club downtown. You have to be twenty-one to get in, but I can get you two in if you want. We can drink and have fun and everything. Like, forget about all this heartache for a while."

"Sounds like a plan," said James, while Carlos yelled, "Hell yeah!"

At the club, everyone recognized James and Carlos as part of Big Time Rush and asked them for autographs. They signed a few, and then stopped. Avery made them go onstage to sing something Big Time Rush. Carlos looked at James and mouthed "Stuck". James nodded. The music started, and James sang, "There are so many things that I never ever get to say, 'cause I'm always tongue-tied with my words getting in the way."

Carlos and James finished the song, filling in Kendall and Logan's parts easily. The crowd cheered loudly as Carlos and James shared an onstage kiss.

James and Carlos got off stage, and Avery high-fived both of them. "That was pretty awesome, guys."

"Thanks," said Carlos.

The three of them sat down at a table. Avery ordered three shots of vodka and downed his immediately. James downed his next. Carlos just stared at his shot. James looked confused. He put his hand on Carlos's shoulder. "What's wrong, C-Bear?"

"It's just...I've never drank before," answered Carlos. He sighed, grabbed the shot glass, and downed it. Avery smiled at him. "Wow. For a first-timer, you just did pretty good."

Carlos grimaced. "Woah. It burns."

"Yeah, it does that," said James. "You know, I suddenly don't feel like being here."

"Me neither," agreed Carlos.

Avery fished his keys out of his pocket and handed them to James. "Here. Take my car back to Nana's house. Everyone knows me here. I'll get a ride back when I'm ready to go."

"Thanks, Avery." James and Carlos walked out of the club and got into Avery's car. James started up the ignition. He put his hand on Carlos's knee and smiled at him. "You know, we've never done it in a car. I'm thinking of parking the car somewhere out in the forest and having sex with you."

Carlos laughed. "Let's do it."

An hour later, Carlos laid down on his back. He smiled. "Oh my god, Jamie. That was the most amazing sex we've ever had."

"I know," panted James. "I love you, C-Bear."

"I love you too, Jamie," said Carlos. He sat up. "So, we still have three days until the viewing. What are we gonna do until then?"

"Well, Mom texted me and said that we're having a family picnic tomorrow. Your parents are coming to it," answered James. "And then...I have no idea. We might have dinner with just the two of us, so all the pretty doesn't drive you insane."

James and Carlos both laughed. James jumped back into the driver's seat, and Carlos got into the passenger seat. "Are we going back to Nana's house?"

"Yep," said James, starting up the engine.

The next day, more of James's pretty relatives started arriving at around noon. Carlos saw his parents pull in and went to surprise them. His mother hugged him tight, not seeing him since he left for Hollywood. She actually started crying. "Adios mehos, Carlos. I missed you."

"I've missed you too, Mama," said Carlos. James suddenly appeared at his side. Carlos looked from his mother to James to his father and back again. He turned to the side and kissed James gently. James wrapped an arm around Carlos's waist and pulled him closer. When they were done kissing, Carlos looked at his parents again. "So...do you have anything to say?"

"Carlos, we watch the news. We already knew," explained Carlos's father.

"And how do you feel about it?" Carlos asked.

Sylvia Garcia ran her fingers through her son's hair. "Carlos, we're your parents. We would love you even if you were a murderer. And James is an amazing boy. As long as you don't start doing drugs or anything like that, I'm fine with anything."

Carlos nodded and hugged his parents again. "I'm so glad you don't hate me."

"We could never hate you," said Carlos's father.

After the picnic, James and Carlos took Avery's car to a diner down the street. They had been regulars at the diner before becoming pop stars. As soon as they were seated, the waitress who always used to serve them, Louise, appeared. She was a short, round woman with untidy graying blonde hair. She was dressed in the pink waitress uniform with a white apron over it. "Oh my goodness! James Diamond and Carlos Garcia! How are you guys?"

"Good," said Carlos, smiling.

James nodded. "Did you hear about my dad, Louise?"

"I did," said Louise, her face one of sympathy. "I'm _so_ sorry that happened, James. Your mom invited me to the funeral. I'll definitely be there. So what do you guys want?"

Friday at the viewing, James and his mom cried hysterically. Carlos rubbed James's back with one hand while James comforted Mrs. Diamond. The priest told everyone to pray, and everyone bowed their heads. When it was time to see Mr. Diamond in the casket, James couldn't do it. He grabbed Carlos's hand and walked out of the funeral home. Carlos narrowed his eyebrows. Quietly, he asked, "Jamie, don't you wanna see your dad one last time?"

"I can't." James could barely get out the words, because he was sobbing so hard. Carlos took James's hand in his own and rested his head on James's arm.

Carlos whispered, "It's okay. I understand."

James closed his eyes, making even more tears run down his face. "I feel like I can't even function anymore. Being in a world without my dad is like a fish being in a world without water. I can't do it. Routines won't do it anymore. I need change."

"What are you saying?" asked Carlos quietly.

James met Carlos's eyes. "Carlos, I'm not going back to L.A. with you."

Carlos's eyes widened. He shook his head wildly. "No. No, James. You have to come back with me. I love you, and I don't think I can live without you."

James let go of Carlos's hand and turned around. He didn't look at Carlos anymore. "I'm sorry, but that's the way it has to be. You have to realize that it's not about you. It's about me and needing to change. You need to understand that."

Tears began to fall down Carlos's face. "I _do _under-"

"No you don't!" said James, a little louder than he meant to. He closed his eyes again, and then opened them a moment later. "Look, I'm sorry. You should probably get a flight back to Hollywood tonight. Tell Gustavo and the boys I'm sorry."

"So that's all you have to say?" said Carlos, now crying harder than Mrs. Diamond. "'I'm sorry' is all you can say! What about 'I still love you, Carlos' or 'I promise I'll come back'? And you don't even want to touch me? You know what, James? I take everything back! I DON'T love you! Have fun being alone the rest of your goddamn life!"

And with that, Carlos left the funeral home, practically running. He walked all the way back to Nana's house and packed his things, then went to the airport. He bought a ticket to Los Angeles and boarded the plane two hours later. Carlos sat in silence, alone in a crowd of people. When the plane landed, he got off, found his luggage, and took a taxi back to the Palm Woods. He opened the door to the apartment and stepped in. Mrs. Knight, Katie, Kendall, and Logan all looked at him.

Mrs. Knight smiled. "Hi. I didn't think you were going to be home until tomorrow."

"Yeah. I didn't either," said Carlos quietly.

Kendall and Logan hugged Carlos. Kendall looked out into the hallway. He narrowed his bushy eyebrows and looked at Carlos. "Where's James?"

Carlos started crying immediately. He sat down on the couch and put his face in his hands. Between sobs, he explained where James was. "He didn't want to come back with me. He said he needed a change in his life, so he stayed in Minnesota. He wanted me to tell you guys that he's sorry. I completely flipped on him. God, I feel so bad for doing that. I wish I could take it back."

"You mean James isn't coming back?" asked Katie.

Carlos shook his head. "Nope. He's not coming back at all."

Everyone was completely silent. Carlos wiped the tears off his face, but it was in vain, because more tears just kept falling. Mrs. Knight sat beside him on the couch, rubbing his back in small circles. Everyone else just sat around, not saying anything.

[I know it ends abruptly, and I know a lot of you are probably pissed that I left James in Minnesota, but it makes for great storytelling. I swear you will be happy next chapter.]


	7. Reuniting

**Chapter Seven**: Reuniting

**Pairings**: Carlos/James

Carlos looked at a picture of himself and James that had been taken such a long time ago for about the thousandth time. He sighed and shoved it back underneath the piles of socks and underwear in his top dresser drawer. Today marked one year since James had decided to stay in Minnesota. No one here had heard from him. They thought he would at least call once or twice or send a letter, but no. All James Diamond did was had his mother's assistant pick up his things from the apartment.

A boy in a towel came into the room behind Carlos. He was tall and slightly muscular, with lightly tanned skin. The boy kissed Carlos's cheek. "Hey, baby."

"Hey, Max," said Carlos, smiling brightly. He turned in his boyfriend's arms and received a kiss.

Max started kissing Carlos's neck. "So how about we have some hot, nasty sex right now? I'm already naked. You wouldn't have to waste time tearing my clothes off."

"We can't," laughed Carlos. Neck kisses from Max always tickled. Carlos giggled a little bit more. "Maxy, we have a concert in an hour. You have to get ready, and then we have to catch the limo to take us to the rec center. It's a half hour away, so we don't really have time for sex. Hot, nasty, or otherwise."

Max frowned. "Fine."

The tall boy turned around and dropped his towel. He changed into his clothes quickly. Max then disappeared back into the bathroom. Carlos knew that his boyfriend would stay in the bathroom for as long as he was allowed, which at this point was about twenty minutes. Carlos dug the picture of himself and James back out of his top drawer. He kissed James's head and replaced the picture.

Twenty-five minutes later, the limo pulled up. Carlos and Max walked out of their mansion. Big Time Rush no longer lived together. Carlos and Max lived in a huge white mansion, Kendall lived in a penthouse apartment, Logan lived in a custom-built home, and Mrs. Knight and Katie lived in a cute little townhouse.

Carlos and Max climbed into the limo and smiled. Carlos bumped Kendall's fist. "You guys ready for this show?"

Logan nodded. "But you know what today is, right?"

Max looked confused at first, but then he realized what day it was. "Oh my gosh, babe. I'm so sorry. James. I completely forgot."

"Don't worry about it, Maxy," started Carlos. "I stopped caring about James Diamond a long time ago. All I want to do tonight is dance and sing to the best of my ability. I can't do that if my mind's stuck in the past."

Max nodded. He grasped his boyfriend's hand. "Okay."

Big Time Rush performed, doing just as great as they always did. Carlos smiled. This was his favorite part. The boys got to meet fans and sign autographs for them. Carlos sat down at the table marked for him and autographed pictures for a group of preteen girls. A tan hand set a picture of Carlos down on the table. Without looking up, he asked, "So, who should I make this out to?"

"James Diamond," said the guy. Carlos looked up and met the eyes of his former lover. The smile he'd been wearing less than a minute ago vanished. James still looked exactly the same. "So, are you happy to see me?"

"Hardly," lied Carlos. He was actually ecstatic that James had shown up. Carlos sloppily signed his signature onto James's picture and handed it back to him. "There you go, sir."

James rolled his eyes. "Please, just talk to me after the autographing. I'll meet you at the coffee shop down the road from your mansion at eleven."

"How do you know where I live?" Carlos asked.

James smiled. "Just because I stayed in Minnesota doesn't mean I didn't keep tabs on you."

The tall boy winked and walked away. Carlos looked to the left and to the right. He was pretty sure none of the other band members had seen James. They were too busy signing autographs, clumps of fans blocking their view of Carlos's table.

When Max and Carlos got home, it was five minutes away from being eleven. Carlos thought about what James had said, about meeting him at the coffee shop down the street. Carlos stretched. "Maxy, I'm wanna stay up and go through some fan mail, so I'm gonna walk down to that coffee shop and get some coffee."

"Oh. I'l go with you," said Max.

Carlos shook his head and kissed his boyfriend. "You go up to bed, baby. You look exhausted. Good night. Love you."

"Night. Love you, too," said Max as he walked up the marble steps. Carlos turned and opened the big front doors of his mansion. He closed them carefully behind him and followed the circular driveway until he reached the gate. The gates opened for him, and Carlos started his walk down to the coffee shop.

Carlos opened the door to the coffee shop and immediately saw James sitting in the corner of the shop, away from everyone else. James smiled as Carlos entered. Carlos didn't smile back. He crossed the shop in silence and sat across from James. "This better be good."

"Hold on." James pushed a coffee cup my way. I couldn't help but smile as I sipped it. He remembered how I liked my coffee, after a whole year. Max could never remember, and he was with me every single day. James smiled back. "Okay. So, I just wanted to tell you that I was wrong. I know I thought I had to change, but I didn't see how good things were back here in L.A. I could be the one living in that mansion with you, instead of Max. I could be the one who sleeps in your bed, who ruffles your hair, who makes love to you, who kisses you and hugs you and keeps you safe. But I'm not. I know I made a lot of mistakes. I'm sorry. No, I'm not just going to say I'm sorry this time. I'm telling you that I still love you. I never stopped loving you. You are the only person for me. You will always be the only person for me."

Carlos looked around the shop nervously. This was a 24-hour coffee shop, so there was an all-night easy-listening band playing music up on the stage. Carlos stared at the cute lead singer for a split second. When he finally looked back at James, the Latino found that tears were forming in his eyes. "James, I should be the one saying sorry. I took back my 'I love you' and I told you that I understood when I clearly didn't. I don't know what it's like for my father to die. You know, when you didn't come back, I used Max to replace you, but the truth is that there is no replacement for James Diamond. I can't even bring myself to truly love Max, but I still love you. I love you more than anything in this world."

Carlos moved to the other side of the table and started making out with James right then and there. Surprisingly, no one paid them any attention. Carlos suddenly pulled away. "Wait. I have to break it off with Max before we do this. Good thing BTR's breaking up."

"BTR's breaking up?" asked James.

Carlos nodded. "Yeah. Kendall got an offer for his own reality show, and Logan wants to go to college and medical school. I'll be with you. That means Max will be the only one singing. I might get into acting."

"You should. I'm going into modeling," said James.

Carlos smiled. "Modeling would be perfect for you, Jamie."

A big, white smile appeared on James's face. "You called me Jamie. Just like old times. So how are you going to break it to Max?"

"I'm going to wait until tomorrow, then I'm just gonna tell him it's over. Our farewell concert is at the end of next month, so I won't have to be around Max for too much longer," explained Carlos. James nodded at him. Carlos smiled and shook his head. "God, I love you so much."

"I love you, too," smiled James.

Max came down the steps the next morning to see Carlos's dark blue suitcases sitting beside the door. The cute Latino came into the foyer, and Max looked at him questioningly. Carlos put his hands on his hips. "I'm sorry, Max. I hate to do this, but it's over. I don't love you, and I never have. I was just trying to fill that hole that James left. I just reconnected with James last night. I'm moving into his condo with him. I hope we can be friends."

Max sighed and put one hand on his hip. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "Carlos, can I please just have a goodbye kiss?"

"Of course." Carlos stepped forward and met his lips to Max's. Max held onto Carlos's tie. They made out for a moment, until Carlos finally pulled away. "Okay, James is waiting, so I have to go. Bye. I'll see you at rehearsal tomorrow."

Carlos walked out the door. Max watched him go, not even crying. He had always known that Carlos didn't feel anything for him. James was the only person Carlos was ever going to love.

James opened the passenger side door for Carlos, and the Latino sat down. James went and sat down in the driver's seat and started the car. He smiled at Carlos and rested a hand on his knee. Carlos smiled back. James drove out onto the main road, heading for his condo, which was on the other side of town. After a year, James and Carlos were finally back together.


End file.
